Nicke. Mistresse, your father prayes you leaue your books, And helpe to dresse your sisters chamber vp, You know to morrow is the wedding day

Bian. Farewell sweet masters both, I must be gone

Luc. Faith Mistresse then I haue no cause to stay

Hor. But I haue cause to pry into this pedant, Methinkes he lookes as though he were in loue: Yet if thy thoughts Bianca be so humble To cast thy wandring eyes on euery stale: Seize thee that List, if once I finde thee ranging, Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing. Enter.

Enter Baptista, Gremio, Tranio, Katherine, Bianca, and others, attendants.

Bap. Signior Lucentio, this is the pointed day That Katherine and Petruchio should be married, And yet we heare not of our sonne in Law: What will be said, what mockery will it be? To want the Bride-groome when the Priest attends To speake the ceremoniall rites of marriage? What saies Lucentio to this shame of ours? Kate. No shame but mine, I must forsooth be forst To giue my hand oppos'd against my heart Vnto a mad-braine rudesby, full of spleene, Who woo'd in haste, and meanes to wed at leysure: I told you I, he was a franticke foole, Hiding his bitter iests in blunt behauiour, And to be noted for a merry man; Hee'll wooe a thousand, point the day of marriage, Make friends, inuite, and proclaime the banes, Yet neuer meanes to wed where he hath woo'd: Now must the world point at poore Katherine, And say, loe, there is mad Petruchio's wife If it would please him come and marry her

Tra. Patience good Katherine and Baptista too, Vpon my life Petruchio meanes but well, What euer fortune stayes him from his word, Though he be blunt, I know him passing wise, Though he be merry, yet withall he's honest

Kate. Would Katherine had neuer seen him though.

Exit weeping.

Bap. Goe girle, I cannot blame thee now to weepe, For such an iniurie would vexe a very saint, Much more a shrew of impatient humour. Enter Biondello.

Bion. Master, master, newes, and such newes as you neuer heard of, Bap. Is it new and olde too? how may that be? Bion. Why, is it not newes to heard of Petruchio's comming? Bap. Is he come? Bion. Why no sir

Bap. What then? Bion. He is comming

Bap. When will he be heere? Bion. When he stands where I am, and sees you there

Tra. But say, what to thine olde newes? Bion. Why Petruchio is comming, in a new hat and an old ierkin, a paire of old breeches thrice turn'd; a paire of bootes that haue beene candle-cases, one buckled, another lac'd: an olde rusty sword tane out of the Towne Armory, with a broken hilt, and chapelesse: with two broken points: his horse hip'd with an olde mothy saddle, and stirrops of no kindred: besides possest with the glanders, and like to mose in the chine, troubled with the Lampasse, infected with the fashions, full of Windegalls, sped with Spauins, raied with the Yellowes, past cure of the Fiues, starke spoyl'd with the Staggers, begnawne with the Bots, Waid in the backe, and shoulder-shotten, neere leg'd before, and with a halfe-chekt Bitte, & a headstall of sheepes leather, which being restrain'd to keepe him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with knots: one girth sixe times peec'd, and a womans Crupper of velure, which hath two letters for her name, fairely set down in studs, and heere and there peec'd with packthred

William Shakespeare
Classic Literature Library

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